The Glitz Cup
by JBGamer
Summary: Set in the Paper Mario universe, after TTYD. The Glitz Pit is under new management, and the new owner is throwing a HUGE tournament. 15,000 coins are at stake... but who is this mysterious new fighter dominating the tournament? STORY COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Renovation, Transformation

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, except for Mr. Rista. I am curious though, as to why a fanfic really needs a disclaimer in the first place...isn't using characters you don't own the entire point of a fanfic?

THE GLITZ CUP

Prologue

"So, Jolene, it is done then."

"Yes, Mr. Rista, the contract is signed, and the renovations and grounding of the Glitz Pit is to commence tomorrow."

"Excellent… you've made an excellent business decision. May our new partnership bring prosperity and coinage to the Glitz Pit the likes of which it never has seen before."

1 year later

Luigi looked up from his copy of the Mushroom Gazette. "Hey Mario, look at this!"

Mario checked the headline.

GLITZ PIT RENOVATIONS COMPLETE—RISTA ANNOUNCES ULTIMATE TOURNEY

Mr. Fungalomew Rista, founder and CEO of Ultishroom Enterprises, and recently co-owner of the Glitz Pit, alongside the other owner Jolene Mush, have announced the completion of the much anticipated renovations of the Glitz Pit. In a press release from Mr. Rista, he has announced some bold new changes to the entire structuring of the Glitz Pit system.

"I object somewhat to the terming of the changes we've made to Glitz Stadium as 'renovations'. And yes, we are calling it Glitz Stadium now. The reason being, really, that the changes we've made are less of a renovation and more of a complete and total transformation. The first and most obvious of the changes of course, was the grounding of Glitz Stadium. I mean, having it up in the sky was totally impractical. Not only did keeping it aloft waste untold resources, but with it on the ground, we'll reach a larger audience than we ever could before. The second major change we've made was to accommodate these larger audiences; Glitz stadium no longer has merely one arena…now we have five of them, four lesser arenas, and one larger one with massive audience capacity. Finally, I have a major announcement, concerning the last change. Glitz Stadium is proud to announce the start of…the Glitz Cup Ultimate Fighter World Championships! We have sent special invites to several renowned challengers, and not only that, we will be holding open sign ups for any novices who wish to test themselves in the ultimate challenge. I have also added an extra incentive… the tournament champion will win, in addition to fame and glory, a total of fifteen thousand coins. The tournament itself will commence in one month, and tickets for all matches will be on sale starting today. In addition, all matches will be broadcast on premium webcam and television pay-per-view. I hope to see a large turnout, for we aim to make this the event of the century. Thank you."

All who wish to sign up for or purchase tickets to the new Glitz Stadium Glitz Cup fights should go to the Glitz Stadium. Tickets to view the fights are also available at www.glitzstadium.shroom.

"Nice… we should definitely enter," said Mario, "fifteen thousand coins would come in handy."

"That's an understatement." Said Luigi. Then, they heard a voice from outside.

"Mail call!"

"I'll go see." Said Luigi.

He went out, got the mail, and came back in. "Bro! We got invitations from Rista! They say that we should head for Glitz Stadium the day of the tournament to receive our ranks."

"Ranks?"

"I guess they'll explain once we get there."

Bowser's Castle

Bowser Koopa was in his throne room, reading the latest issue of Doomsday Weapons Monthly. He was admiring the centerfold, a picture of the latest weapon, the TurboTank 2008. "Oh, man, I could totally kick Mario's butt in this thing… but I can't spend 10,000 coins!"

It was true. The Koopa Kingdom's national budget was getting decidedly unbalanced after Bowser's last princess snatching scheme, and his subjects were starting to complain… he'd dealt with a few who'd dared speak up the way he knew how, but he knew that it would be a mistake to push things further.

"M'lord," said Kammy Koopa, "I couldn't help but overhear, and I think I may have a solution…" she showed him the headline of the Mushroom Gazette. Bowser's eyes bulged as he read, with difficulty, the words, "fifteen thousand coins".

"WOAH! I'd even have…" he paused as he crunched the numbers, "five thousand coins left over! All right Kammy, where's my invite?"

"Well there, er, wasn't one."

"What?! I wasn't invited? Bleh, no matter. I'll just have to kick butt in the prelims. Those coins are ALL MINE! Buahahaha!"

Glitz Stadium

2 weeks later

"Greetings, Mr. Bowser, welcome to your preliminary." Said a toad receptionist, "you will be tested and scored in three areas; strength, speed, and tactics. Your combined score will be compared against all others, and if you qualify, you will be called back in two more weeks to receive your rank. First, the strength test. Please approach the sandbag."

Bowser went into the center stadium. There was a raised platform in the center of the ring, with a sandbag on it. "You have ten seconds to knock the sandbag as far as you can. It will count as knocked away once it leaves the platform." Bowser stepped onto the platform. "Begin!"

Bowser gave the sandbag a mighty whack…or at least what he thought was a mighty whack. The sandbag landed a few feet from the platform.

"Recorded distance, 2.34 meters."

"WHAT?! Well… I guess I haven't really been exercising that much lately. Oops."

"Next, the speed test. Proceed to the edge of the ring please. We will measure your time elapsed from one lap around the ring."

Bowser moved to the starting line.

"Ready…GO!"

Bowser was panting uncontrollably by the time he finished the lap. "Jeez… I'm in worse shape than I thought."

"Time elapsed for one quarter-mile run: 4:15.87. Finally, the tactics test. It is a written multiple-choice exam. You will be presented with 20 different scenarios, and must select the best action. Follow me."

Bowser followed the receptionist to a room with a computer terminal with four buttons marked A, B, C, and D. "Log your answers in to this computer. Press the button that corresponds to the choice you wish to make."

40 minutes later, Bowser finished. "Your results are: Out of twenty scenarios, you answered twelve correct. You will receive you notice of qualification if applicable in two weeks. Have a nice day."

Two weeks later

"Oh yeah!" said Bowser, holding his notice of qualification, "I gotta say, I was a little worried, but I'm in! And I'm way stronger now than I was then! Those 3-hour daily gym workouts are really paying off!"

"Great, m'lord!" said Kammy Koopa, "With two chances to win the tourney, those coins are as good as ours!"

"Wait, two chances?"

"I've qualified as well, m'lord."

"All right! Glitz Stadium, look out, 'cause Bowser's on his way!"

Day of the Tournament

"Wow, look at all the tough customers," said Luigi, scoping out the competition in the lobby of Glitz Stadium, "Rawk Hawk, Prince Peasly, Prince Mush, the Shadow Sirens, Doopliss… even Bowser! You might just end up having to battle every boss you ever faced, and some more besides!"

"Your attention please," said a receptionist, "we are about to distribute the new Glitz Cup rankings. The way the tournament works is this. Your rank determines your place in the pecking order within the Glitz Stadium. There are forty ranks, from D-10 to A-1. To qualify for the finals, you must fight your way through the ranks and achieve a rank of at least B-6. The ranks will now be displayed on this monitor behind me. Take a good look!"

"Woohoo! I got A-3!" said Mario

"A-3?" Who could possibly be ahead of you?" Luigi asked.

"Let's see… Prince Mush… and some guy named Fighter S."

"Fighter S? Sounds fishy…"

Meanwhile, Bowser was having a tantrum. "D-10? No WAY did I just get rank D-10. This is stupid! Graaargh!"

The receptionist spoke up again. "Now that you all know your ranks, please proceed to your designated locker rooms. You may fight the combatant above you in rank at any time, simply by reserving a match on the conveniently located computer terminal. Happy fighting."


	2. Main Tournament Highlights

Author Notes: I know, the main tournament stuff is really short. But let's be honest. Who would you rather see duke it out...a bunch of lame fighters in the lower classes, or the awesome guys in the finals?Thought so. Honestly, I really only did this part to explain how Bowser got from rank D-10 to the finals. Oh, and if there's someone who you would rather have had in the finals roster at the end of this chapter, oh well. This is MY story, okay?

Glitz Cup Main Tournament Highlights fight 1: Bowser (D-1) vs. Iron Cleft Bros. (C-10)

"Ladies aaaand gentlemen!" Jolene announced, "Prepare yourselves for the Glitz Cup's next Class Transfer bout! Our challenger has been on an amazing tear since day one, and has reached rank D-1 in a mere three days! Please put your hands, claws, and extremities in general together for the Comeback King of the Koopas… Booooooowser Koopa!"

Bowser walked out into C-Ring, one of the four Lesser Rings in Glitz Stadium. "Oh yeah, bring it on! I'm going all the way baby!"

"And now…" Jolene continued, "The only remaining combatants standing between Bowser and the C Class! Please welcome back one of the original 20 Glitz Pit fighting teams… the Iron Cleft Brothers!"

"We'll bring it all right. Haven't you heard? We're invincible. Nothing can ever penetrate our defense, so you might as well hang it up."

"Hang it up? I'll hang YOU up out to dry! Bring it!"

"Without further ado, leeeet's get ready to brawl!" Said Jolene, and the gong sounded, signaling the start of the fight. Bowser wasted no time in firing his flame breath at the duo. Unaffected, their iron bodies began to glow red. "Hey buddy, how'd you like a hotfoot?" said the Elder Cleft, who ran at him. Bowser swiped at him with his claws, but received only a broken nail for his trouble, and the Iron Cleft made contact with his leg. He grabbed it, hopping in pain from the heat, and the other Iron Cleft rammed him in the stomach with its spikes, flooring Bowser. Bowser retracted into his shell and righted himself. "All right, now I'm mad!"

"Oh please. Our iron bodies are harder than anything! We can't lose!"

"Wait, anything?" Bowser, miraculously, got an idea. "Including the ring?" He said with an evil grin. The elder iron cleft tried to ram him again, but Bowser bent down, lifted him up, and stuck him in the ring spikes first. Well and truly stuck, the elder cleft complained, "Hey, how is this fair?"

"It isn't!" Bowser ran at the other cleft, picked him up as well, and threw him into his brother. "Ouch!" Bowser then picked them up, one in each claw, and slammed them against each other repeatedly. "Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?" After pummeling them like this for a while, he threw them aside. "Oooorgh…" groaned the Clefts, and fell unconscious.

"And the winner is…Boooooooowser Koopa! You're in the C-class now!"

"Oh please. Just two more losers pummeled on my way to the top!"

Glitz Cup Main Tournament Highlights Fight 2: Prince Mush (A-2) vs. Fighter S (A-1)

"And now," said Jolene in Stadium A, the largest of the Lesser Rings, "for today's tournament Main Event! In the West corner, the Mighty Mushroom Mauler…Priiiiiiince Mush!"

Prince Mush entered the ring. This fight marked the beginning of his comeback from his retirement after the Crystal Star incident, and throngs of his old fans had turned out for this match. He was determined to prove to them he hadn't lost any of his old ability.

"And in the East corner, making his debut appearance, the current number 1 seed in the Glitz Cup… the Mushroom of Mystery, Fighter S!"

At last, the fighter all the fans had been constantly speculating and gossiping about made his way to the ring. He was unmistakably a Mushroom Land Toad, but he was dressed like a ninja, black cloth covering every inch of his body and head save his eyes. As they made their way to the center, Prince Mush spoke up. "So…Fighter S was it? Anything you'd like to say? Banter exchange, et cetera?"

"Why did you choose to fight me?"

"I don't settle for number two. Besides, all the action so far has been taking place in the lower ranks. Somebody has to give these people something to see."

"Heh. Well said. I'm sure you'll go far. Well, shall we?"

"Leeeet's get ready to brawl!" said Jolene, then the gong sounded.

Prince Mush and Fighter S pulled out their hammers. "Ultra hammer…good craftsmanship," said Fighter S, "of course, I'd never leave home without one myself."

"That's no run-of-the-mill hammer," Mush observed, for instead of the traditional yellow-red color, it was colored deep red on the outer part, and black in the center.

"Customized myself. You'll see how it performs in a moment."

The two fighters rushed at each other and swung at each other mightily. The peens of their hammers struck each other, but Fighter S' blow was struck with such force that Mush's hammer flew out of his grip, and landed near the edge of the ring. "What?!" exclaimed Mush as he ran after his hammer.

"I think not." Said Fighter S, who gave a mighty leap, well over Mush, and reached the hammer before him, picking it up. He swung at Mush with Mush's own hammer, but Mush ducked the blow and hit Fighter S with a mighty uppercut, and backed out of his range to avoid a counter blow. "Impressive." Said Fighter S, still wielding both hammers, and ran at Mush again. He swung at Mush with the Ultra Hammer, but Mush leapt over him. Fighter S threw his own hammer at Mush, and it hit him in the gut. Mush still in the air, S swung the Ultra hammer, delivering a devastating blow that knocked Mush to the ring's edge. Mush recovered and ran at Fighter S. As he got close, Fighter S swung the Ultra Hammer, but Mush grabbed it and did a somersault, his foot connecting with S' face, causing his grip on the hammer to release. "Better than I thought," said S, "I'll have to hold a little less back. Power of flame, come to my aid, give me your strength, lend me your power! Hammer Elemental Shift: Fire!"

The part of Fighter S' hammer above the handle burst into flames. Fireballs shot out of the hammer at Mush, which he deftly dodged, but there was no way he could get close enough to strike at S. But then, he realized he didn't have to. As another fireball shot at him, he swung the hammer at it, sending it back at Fighter S. He evaded, saying, "Clever. Perhaps I made an error in judgment. But I know how to deal with you. Power of air, come to my aid, give me your strength, lend me your power! Hammer Elemental Shift: Wind!"

The flames extinguished, and now a miniature cyclone formed around his hammer. Then, to the astonishment of all, Fighter S himself rose into the air. He swooped around Mush, circling him with incredible speed. A cyclone formed, carrying Mush up with it, and Fighter S struck at him with the Wind Hammer. This time, the blow

was so potent, Mush's body shot out of the cyclone and into the stands. "Such…such power…" he said, and passed out.

"And the winner is Fighter S!" Fighter S will remain the number one seed!"

Mario, who'd been watching in the stands with his brother, spoke to Luigi. "Those were some seriously impressive techniques."

"Yeah… this S guy is getting more suspicious by the second. A customized hammer? Elemental Shift? I've never even heard of such a thing! Watch out in the finals, bro."

Glitz Cup Fight 3: Bowser (B-7) vs. Prince Peasley (B-6)

"And now," Jolene announced in B Ring, "as we bring the 30th and final day of the Glitz Cup Main Tournament to a close, we've time for one more fight, and we couldn't PLAN for a more dramatic turn of events! For this, fight fans, is the last Finals Qualifier Match of the tournament. Whoever wins this will be the sixteenth seed on the finals roster. Now, without further ado, the contenders: Rookie fans have gotten to know him well; he's been on the most amazing comeback tear this stadium has ever seen! Please welcome the Comeback King of the Koopas…Boooooowser Koopa!"

Bowser walked into the ring, and he was more than a little nervous. All of his efforts literally clawing his way to the top came down to this; if he didn't win, everything would be for nothing. But, he decided, nah, there was nothing to worry about. After all, how tough could this Beanbean Kingdom royal be compared to him?

"And here he is! Tell me, how are you feeling going into this?"

"I got nothing to say, except this: Anyone who gets in that ring with me gets Bowserized!"

"Well spoken! Now, introducing the Prince of Pinto, the Lord of Lima, the Kidney Conquerer… Glitz Stadium's special Beanbean Kingdom guest, Prince Peasely!"

"Geez," said Bowser, "if I could pummel this guy for as long as that intro takes, this fight would already be over!"

"Don't be so sure," said Prince Peasely, who entered the ring, rapier in hand, "en guard!" The gong sounded. Bowser ran at Prince Peasely and swiped at him with his claws, but Peasely nimbly leaped over the attack and slashed at Bowser's face with his rapier. Furious, Bowser fired his flame breath, but Peasely swiftly moved out of range. "Don't feel bad," he taunted, "I hear scars are coming back in fashion among villains such as yourself."

"All right, time to try that new move I've been practicing." He turned his back to Peasley and concentrated. "Hrrgh…gurgghh…GWAR!" Several of the spikes on Bowser's back detached themselves and sped toward Peasley at incredible velocity. "Wha—oof!" said Peasely as one of them rammed into his stomach. Bowser ran up before he could recover and snatched his rapier. "Hey, nice toothpick…oops!" he said, as he broke it in half with his fist. At this, Peasely seemed to be in shock. Bowser grabbed him by his shirt. "Look you," he said, "I'm NOT a villain! I'm a SUPERvillian, and don't you forget it!" At this, he slammed Peasely to the ground, and cooked him with his flame breath. At this, Peasely fainted. He was done.

"And the winner… and new finalist, Boooooowser Koopa! Congratulations on making the finals! And now, fight fans… on the central monitor, the final roster for the Glitz Cup finals!

Displayed on the monitor were sixteen names…

1. Fighter S

2. Prince Mush

3. Mario Mario

4. Luigi Mario

5. Wario Wario

6. The Master

7. Rawk Hawk

8. Bobbery

9. The Great Gonzales, Jr.

10. Goombella

11. Ms. Mowz

12. Kammy Koopa

13. Lord Crump

14. The Shadow Sirens

15. Doopliss

16. Bowser Koopa

"And now, the pairings!" The screen changed to display the pairings…

1 vs. 2

3 vs. 4

5 vs. 6

7 vs. 8

9 vs. 10

11 vs. 12

13 vs. 14

15 vs. 16

Mario and Luigi, who were in the stands, looked at each other. They would be facing each other in the first round! Prince Mush, also in the stands, thought to himself, _I must prepare well for this rematch. I'll need a good strategy._ Bowser merely said, "Who the heck is Doopliss?" The finals of the Glitz Cup were shaping up to truly be an event to remember…


	3. The Finals Commence

Authors notes: For those of you wondering why I'm just doing one fight after another, I mainly did this story because I 3 fight scenes, so I tried to cut out the other stuff as much as possible :D

Glitz Cup Finals—Round 1

Glitz Cup Finals: Round 1, Fight 1: Bowser (16th seed) vs. Doopliss (15th seed)

Centre Ring in Glitz Stadium. Audience capacity: twenty thousand. And every last one of those seats, to Jolene's and Mr. Rista's delight, had a posterior firmly planted in it. The finals of the Glitz Cup were about to begin. "Laaadiiiies and gentlemen!" Jolene began, "Fight fans of all walks of life, it's time at last for the moment you've all been waiting for! The Glitz Cup Finals! And now, with as little unwanted ado as possible, let's move straight to the first match! In the West corner, we have the fighter who started at the very bottom of the Glitz Cup barrel! Let's see if he can continue his amazing run at the Glitz Cup championship…the Ultimate Comeback King of the Koopas…Booooooowser Koopa!"

Bowser emerged into the stadium. Kammy Koopa, who was in the finals herself, had brought an entire contingent of his army to cheer for him. They held up cards that displayed "King Bowser! Go!" when viewed from above, and on the other side was a full body picture of himself. It would have been a nice gesture, except for one thing… instead of her usual Magikoopa robes, Kammy Koopa was wearing a red and white cheerleader uniform, complete with pom-poms. Bowser averted his eyes, and tried to block out the memory and focus on his opponent.

"Aaaand in the East corner, the Master of Mischief, the Dominating Doppleganger, Doooooooopliss!"

"Hey there slick," said Doopliss as he entered the ring, "ever try fighting yourself? It ain't easy!"

"Well, you ain't me!"

"All right, enough fanfare… let's brawl!" the gong sounded.

Doopliss' eyes flashed, and Bowser was surrounded with an eerie green light. It passed through him and disappeared. "What kind of attack was that? Nothing happened!" said Bowser.

"Don't be so sure slick!" Then suddenly, Bowser saw himself. "What the—?"

"That's right! You ARE fighting yourself!"

Doopliss, in Bowser form, retracted into his shell and sped toward Bowser. Bowser caught Doopliss in his arms. He was forced back a bit from the impact, but he managed to raise Doopliss into the air, slammed him into the ground, and kicked him away. Doopliss emerged from the shell just in time to get rammed in the stomach by several of Bowser's shell spikes that he'd launched. "Hoo…heh… not bad slick."

"Not bad?! Listen you… there's one reason you'll never beat me. There's only ONE Bowser Koopa!"

Bowser went into his shell and proceeded toward Doopliss at ramming speed. Doopliss extended his arms to catch Bowser, but Bowser jumped up at the last second, still in his shell, and connected with Doopliss' face. "See what I mean?" he said, emerging from the shell.

"I ain't… done yet…slick." Said Doopliss.

"Heh. If you want more punishment, you got it. I didn't want to use this move, it brings back bad memories. But you really need to learn a lesson."

Bowser picked up Doopliss by the tail. "Woah, hey, slick what're you doing?"

"THIS!" Bowser swung him around, and around, and around, and released. Doopliss flew out of the ring and slammed headfirst into the wall of Centre ring. He changed back into his Duplighost form, and left the realm of the conscious.

"And the winner, once again, is Bowser! Bowser advances to the quarterfinals!"

Glitz Cup Finals: Round 1, Fight 2: Lord Crump (13th seed) vs. The Shadow Sirens (14th seed)

"Moving right along, folks, the second match up of the first round!" Jolene announced, "In the West corner, we have the X-tra tough X-naut, Loooooord Crump!"

Lord Crump made his entrance. "Bu huh huh! I'm just itching to get this going, I've got a very special surprise for you all…"

"And in the East corner, we have the Sinister Sister trio… the Shadooooow Sirens!"

Beldam, Marilyn and Vivian entered the ring. "I object somewhat to that billing, Jolene," said Beldam, "after all, as anyone who knows anything about the Shadow Palace incident knows, I've hung up the whole 'bad guy' thing."

"Buh-huh." Said Marilyn.

"Sorry, I don't write the nicknames. Anyways…let's brawl!" the gong sounded.

"Buh…huh…BUH HUH HUH!" said Lord Crump.

"Just what is so funny?" asked Beldam.

"Oh, just that, even despite this three on one stupidity, this fight's already over."

"And why is that?"

"Well…you'll see." Crump took out a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an enormous robot suit materialized inside the ring, and Crump got inside. It was rather hideous, with large red mechanical claws for hands, the feet resembled spikey cleats with more spikes protruding from the top and front, and on the torso area, the Roman numeral 3 was painted. "Buh huh huh! Let's all give a nice welcome to…Magnus Von Grapple 3.0!"

"Oh please, Crump, not another one of your idiotic robots." Said Beldam.

"I'll show YOU who the idiot is!" One of Magnus' claw hands extended, and snatched Beldam. "Aaah…can't breathe…"

"Sis!" Vivian used her fire powers on Magnus, causing it to drop Beldam.

"Buh huh…you're gonna pay for that one." Panels on Magnus' chest openened, and a quartet of missiles shot out of them at the Sirens. They each shrank into the shadows, evading them all with ease. "All right my lovelies," said Beldam, "time to junk that thing! Delta Elemental Strike!"

The Sirens quickly surrounded Magnus Von Grapple 3.0, and their bodies began to glow with the power of the element they each commanded. "Buh huh? I don't remember them doing this before…"

Large elemental orbs emerged from the Sirens, fire, lightning, and ice. They surrounded Magnus, and lines shot out, connecting them to each other, forming a triangle. Three more lines shot out toward Magnus. "Buh huh huh…uh-oh."

As the lines reached the center of the triangle, another, larger magic sphere formed, and it soon engulfed all of Magnus except for the cockpit. Several explosions were heard, and when the delta attack dissipated, Magnus Von Grapple 3.0…wasn't

there. Lord Crump got out of the still intact cockpit. "Magnus Von Grapple 3.0… buh huh huh…WAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Distraught at the loss of his latest creation, Lord Crump ran away sobbing. "And the winners are…The Shadooooow Sirens!"

Bowser, who was in the stands with Kammy Koopa, only just managed to close his jaw before it dislocated. "Did you SEE that?"

"Indeed I did m'lord, and I must say, even I've never seen a more potent magical attack." She replied. It was time for Bowser to do what he did worst: strategize on how to overcome the Shadow Sirens' overwhelming technique.


	4. Round One

Glitz Cup Finals Round 1 Fight 3: Kammy Koopa (12th seed) vs. Ms. Mowz (11th seed)

"Moving on, for our third match up of the day, we have, in the West corner, the Koopa Grandmaster of Magic, Kammy Koopa!" Jolene announced, and Kammy Koopa flew into the ring on her broom. "And in the East corner, the Badge Queen, Ms. Mowz!"

Ms. Mowz made her entrance. She had a small fan base present, mostly frequenters of her badge shop who had developed various levels of feelings for her.

"Now…let's brawl!" the gong sounded. Kammy quickly cast an electrify spell on herself, so Ms. Mowz could no longer make physical contact. She fired several standard magikoopa spell blasts at Ms. Mowz but she was fairly nimble and avoided them all. As the electrification spell wore off, Ms. Mowz slammed into Kammy, knocking her off her broom. "Mweh heh heh! Not bad, rodentia, but I came prepared. Paralyze!"

The paralysis spell hit Ms. Mowz, freezing her in place. Kammy prepared a Mega spell, much larger than the standard Magikoopa attack. It swelled to an enormous size, and Kammy released it, and it struck Ms. Mowz hard. Very hard.

"And the winner is…Kammy Koopa!"

Glitz Cup Finals Round 1 Fight 4: The Great Gonzales Jr. (9th seed) vs. Goombella (10th seed)

"Let's move straight into the final match of the lower half of the bracket!" Jolene went on, "In the West corner, a long-time crowd favorite, the Yoshi Mauler…the Great Gonzales…Jr.!"

"Finally back in action!" said Mario's former yoshi companion. He'd grown up quite a bit since the Crystal Star adventure, but still sported his trademark Mohawk. "Those renovations took FOREVER! Feels great to finally be back in the ring."

"And in the East corner, the Encyclopedic Goomba…Gooooooombella!"

"Hey, Goombella," said Jr., "long time no see."

"Yeah… to be honest, I'm not really sure why I'm here. I mean, if it weren't for Rista's invitation…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. Just do your best, and don't complain when you lose!"

"WHEN?" said Goombella, indignant, "I think you mean if!"

"Hehe, of course. Sorry."

"Now…let's brawl!" the gong sounded. Jr. immediately tackled Goombella, but she leapt over him and headbonked. Jr. tried to use the Yoshi's trademark swallowing move, but Goombella evaded and headbonked again. Jr. then tried his ground pound move, and this time, it hit. However, Goombella recovered quickly and used her Multibonk move. She hit, and kept on hitting. The crowd gasped in astonishment as the hit combo count grew…8 hits, 9 hits, 10 hits! She finally stopped after bonking Jr. fifteen times in a row. Jr. couldn't get up after that. "Wow…you've been working on that move."

"And the winner is…Goooombella!"

Glitz Cup Finals Round 1 Fight 5: Bobbery (8th seed) vs. Rawk Hawk (7th seed)

"All right fight fans…moving on to the second half of round 1!" Jolene announced, "In the West corner, the Super Sea-Bomb…Bobbery!"

Bobbery entered the ring. "Can't say I'm too enthused about fighting on dry land, but ah well, can't go letting Rista and all these people down, now can I?"

"And now… entering the ring in the East corner, the ultimate man among fowl, the Feral Nuclear Reactor…Raaaaaaawk Haaaaaaawk!"

As Rawk Hawk made his entrance, music to the tune of "We will rock you" began playing from the speakers. Rawk Hawk's numerous fans began singing and clapping along to it, although the lyrics were a little different.

_Buddy you're a boy make a big noise  
Playin in the street gonna be a big man some day  
You got mud on your face  
You big disgrace  
He'll kick your rump all over the place  
He will he will Rawk you!_

_He will he will Rawk__you!_

_Buddy you're a young man hard man_

_Shouting but you'll never beat the Hawk no way_

_You got blood on your face _

_You big disgrace_

_From getting your butt kicked all over the place_

_He will he will Rawk you!_

_He will he will Rawk you! _

_He will he will Rawk you!_

_He will he will Rawk you!_

Bowser, in the stands, was not amused. "I've heard better theme songs on Kammy Koopa's yoga exercise tapes."

Rawk Hawk finally entered the ring, to thunderous applause and cheering. "All right…let's brawl!" the gong gonged again.

Rawk Hawk flew high into the air, and swooped down at Bobbery. Bobbery tried to explode as he got near, but unfortunately his timing was slightly off, and Rawk Hawk slammed into him full force. Never one to let up, Rawk Hawk repeatedly pummeled Bobbery, never giving him a chance to react at all. He was not a former Glitz Pit champ for nothing, obviously. The fight was over without Bobbery landing a single blow.

"And the winner is…Raaawk Hawk!"

Glitz Cup Finals Round 1 Fight 6: Wario Wario (5th seed) vs. The Master (6th seed)

"Well…that was fast. Moving on, in the West corner we have the King of Greed, Wariooooo Wario!" Wario entered.

"And now…in the East corner, we have a real treat for you this fight. All the way from his dojo in Toad Town, making an unheard of public appearance, Theeeeeeeee Masterrrrrr!"

"Unheard of indeed," said the master as he entered, "Doesn't this Rista person know I'm not as young as I used to be?"

His students in the stands, Chan and Lee, cheered him on. "Don't be silly Master, just think of all the new students who will be attracted to the dojo once you've won! And with the coins we can expand our facilities!"

"Hmm… they've a point. I shall do my best."

"Well then…let's Brawl!" the gong gonged once more. Wario charged at The Master and attempted a piledriver, but The Master reversed his hold with ease and threw him to the ground. The Master then dashed at Wario with incredible swiftness and landed a one-two strike. Wario took a swing at the Master, but the Master grabbed his arm, gave it a twist, and gave him a second flying lesson. "You disappoint me…your moves lack any subtlety of technique whatsoever."

Wario kept on coming at the Master, but no matter what he tried, the Master reversed the move with ease and Wario always came off the worse. Eventually he just couldn't take anymore.

"And the winner is…Theeeeee Master!"

Glitz Cup Finals Round 1 Fight 7: Mario Mario (3rd seed) vs. Luigi Mario (4th seed)

"And now… moving on to our probably most epic match yet! In the West corner, the good know and love him, evildoers know him and loathe him, The Ultimate Superstar…Mariooooo Maaaaaario!"

Mario walked into the ring. "And now, in the East corner, Mario's own brother, the Underrated Sidekick, Luiiiiiigi Mario!"

Luigi stepped into the ring. "Um, bro?"

"What is it?"

"I've been giving this a lot of thought and…" he suddenly broke out in tears, "I can't do this, I just can't! You're my brother! I can't fight you! I…I forfeit!"

The crowds boos were audible for a radius of several miles. "Bro, please, reconsider!" said Mario, but Luigi was adamant.

"I—I can't! I won't!"

Mario walked up to his brother, and to the astonishment of all watching, slapped him across the face. "You IDIOT! What do you think we came here for? We came here to win! I know we're bros, best friends, a team, and all that, but if we can't decide which one of us is more skilled, more able to win the cup, why did we even show up?! Now fight me…_because_ I'm your bro!"

"You…you really feel that way?"

"Of course!"

"All right…I'm sorry. You know how I am. I'll fight."

"Good. And don't you dare even THINK about holding back!"

"All right, are you two ready?" said Jolene. They nodded. "Okay… let's brawl!" the gong gonged yet again.

Mario jumped at Luigi, but as it so happened, Luigi was one of a very small number of people in the world who could jump higher. His foot connected with Mario's stomach, but Mario did a backflip and landed on his feet as Luigi touched the ground. Mario took out his Ultra Hammer. Unfortunately, Luigi was stuck with a Super Hammer. They swung at each other again and again, dueling as though with swords. Then, Luigi hit Mario with a fireball point-blank, knocking him away. "Not cool bro… and to think I was going easy on you."

"Well, you did tell me not to hold back."

"Then I won't either! Spring…" Mario's body folded in on itself as he prepared the move, "JUMP!"

Luigi prepared to block the move with his hammer. Mario, however, decided to add a new twist to the technique. He took out his hammer, and somersaulted in midair, so that the hammer spun around and around. This resulted in a tremendous impact that the hammer wasn't built for. It broke, and the blow connected with Luigi's skull.

"But mommy, I don't want to eat my vegetables…" said Luigi, dazed, and passed out.

"BRO! You okay?" said Mario, rushing to his side, "Somebody get a medic over here!"

"All right…give him some air Mario." Said a Toad medic, arriving on the scene. Mario backed off. "Hmm… minor concussion. Nothing to worry about, he'll be fine once he's treated. I'll take him to the hospital."

"Thanks. I guess I overdid it a bit, huh? Sorry bro."

"Well, the winner is definitely… Mariooooo Maaaario!"

Glitz Cup Finals Round 1 Fight 8: Prince Mush (2nd seed) vs. Fighter S (1st seed) redux

"And now, fight fans, we've got a true clash of the titans coming your way! In the West corner, give it up for my brother, the Mighty Mushroom Mauler, Priiiiiince Mush!"

Prince Mush entered the ring. He'd spent a lot of time and effort preparing for this fight, and the big moment was now.

"And in the East corner, the number one seed in the finals, the Mushroom of Mystery, Fighter S!"

Fighter S made his way to the ring for the second time. "Hello again, Prince Mush. Been keeping well?"

"Yes thank you. Yourself?"

"Oh, can't complain. You realize, as this is the finals, I won't be holding back at all this time."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"That's the spirit. Now come!"

"Now…let's brawl!" the gong gonged for the last time for the day.

"Brilliant fury, come to my aid, give me your strength, lend me your power! Hammer Elemental Shift…Light!" At that word, Fighter S' hammer shone brilliantly. Several Twilight Town residents in the stands had to shield their eyes. Prince Mush pulled out his own Ultra Hammer and ran at Fighter S, but Fighter S slammed his hammer into the ground, and a shockwave formed headed straight at Mush. Mush evaded it, but found Fighter S right on top of him. He parried a hammer blow, but augmented with the power of Light, S's strength seemed superhuman. They dueled for some time as though their hammers were swords, neither giving the other an inch. "You've improved, I see," said S, "your dedication and resolve is admirable." They broke apart from each other, panting, but Fighter S continued his relentless assault, swinging his hammer several times, releasing waves of light at Mush. He evaded them, saying, "Man, you just don't quit do you?" He charged at S, but S had yet another move. He pointed his hammer straight at Mush, and it released a laser like beam of light that struck Prince Mush in the chest, bowling him over. Fighter S was on him like lightning, and struck just as Mush almost managed to get back up. The force of the blow knocked him almost to the edge of the arena. "It's…it's not…" but he collapsed. He was wrong. It was indeed over.

"And the winner is Fighter S! Mush, are you all right? Do you need help?" said Jolene, rushing to her brother's side, "Hmm… he's out cold, but he'll be okay I think."

"Of course he will," said Fighter S, "it would be awfully rude of me to end the game of such a wonderful fighter. Now I believe that's the end of Round One, isn't it?"

"Oh, right." Jolene picked up the microphone again, "And so ends Round One of the Glitz Pit finals! The remaining fighters and pairings are…" they displayed on the screen thus:

1. Fighter S

3. Mario Mario

6. The Master

7. Rawk Hawk

10. Goombella

12. Kammy Koopa

14. The Shadow Sirens

16. Bowser Koopa

"We'll see you all back again tomorrow for more intense martial arts action!"


	5. The Quarterfinals

The night after Round One, Bowser was in the room tournament staff had provided, trying his best to use his limited thinking cap capabilities to somehow find a way to deal with the Shadow Sirens' technique, when Kammy Koopa walked in. "Sire, I've analyzed the footage from Lord Crump's thrashing. I think I've done it! There is indeed a weakness to the Delta Elemental Strike technique!"

"Well don't just stand there, spill the beans!"

"Of course m'lord. What you need to do is…"

A few rooms down, Mario was bracing himself, for it was now his turn to encounter the fearsome Fighter S. Wielding mysterious techniques he had never even heard of, Mario would almost certainly have a rough time tomorrow. In another nearby room, Fighter S himself was meditating, and a few more rooms down, The Master was doing the same. Goombella and the Shadow Sirens had already started on their beauty rest, and nearby in another room, Rawk Hawk was doing his best to disrupt the fighters' sleep with his cacophonous snoring. It was going to be a very big day tomorrow…

_The Next Day_

Glitz Cup Finals: Quarterfinal Round Fight 1: Bowser Koopa (16th seed) vs. The Shadow Sirens (14th seed)

"Welcome back, fight fans!" Jolene began the announcements at the start of the Glitz Cup Quarterfinals. "After an intense round of eliminations yesterday, eight fighters remain. Let's waste no time in narrowing it down to four! In the East corner, once again we have the Ultimate Comeback King of the Koopas… Booooowser Koopa!"

Bowser made his way to the ring, Kammy Koopa's plan ready. That same night, he'd personally requested Kammy forego the cheerleading uniform, and to his relief, she'd capitulated. His army cheered very loudly for him, as well as a good number of people in the stands who'd been following his comeback trail.

"And now… in the West corner, we have the Sinister Sister Trio… the Shadoooooow Sirens!"

The Shadow Sirens, who were in fact already in the ring, emerged from the shadows. "I do hope you're ready," Beldam cackled, "to lose, that is, of course."

"I'm not the one who should be worried about losing! Prepare to be Bowserized!"

"Well, let's not keep people waiting any longer!" said Jolene. The gong rang, and immediately Bowser was surrounded. "Now, my lovelies! Delta Elemental Strike!"

"I don't think so!" As the Shadow Sirens' bodies began to glow with the power of their elements, Bowser let a shell spike fly at each of them, and they hit without fail. "Eyahh! That hurt!" Beldam shrieked, "What the—oh no! The spell's been disrupted!"

"All right, now's my chance!" Bowser retracted into his shell and sped at Beldam, who could not evade in time. The massive impact knocked Beldam away, but Bowser was not about to let up. He rammed into her again and again. Vivian cast her Fiery Jinx spell to stop him. "Yeouch! Hot hot hot!" But it was too late. "SIS!"

"GUH!" Marilyn was quite angry at the defeat of her sister. She let loose at Bowser with a potent thunderbolt.

"Yeouch! That does it, you're next!" He fired at Marilyn with his flame breath, but she retracted into the shadows and evaded. When she emerged back out to attack, however, Bowser grabbed her and lifted her in a viselike claw fist. "Let's see you escape THIS!" He slammed her into the ground and used his flame breath again. Suddenly, he was hit with a fire attack from behind. Bowser turned toward Vivian, but Marilyn wasn't done yet, and hit Bowser when he turned round. "Oh so that's how it's going to be, huh? I guess I'll just have to show you… my ultimate attack! He retracted into his shell again, and spun rapidly in place. He spun around, faster and faster, until he had actually created a miniature whirlwind that physically lifted him up in its eye. "Koopa King Whirlwind Strike!" Bowser struck Marilyn dead on, KOing her, but Vivian retracted into the shadows. Bowser hovered his whirlwind directly above her, and after about five seconds Vivian was actually ripped out of the shadows and dealt a 

devastating blow. She, much like Marilyn, did not rise. Bowser ceased his attack, and the whirlwind dissipated. "Whoa… sooooo dizzy…but I'm okay, it was totally worth it! I won!"

"You certainly did," said Jolene, "the winner, once again, is Boooooowser Koopa!"

In the stands, Fighter S broke his silence. "An impressive technique. If he can train himself to dispel its after-effects, he'll be truly formidable. I had heard much about the Koopa King, but obviously the stories don't do him justice."

Glitz Cup Finals: Quarterfinal Round Fight 2: Goombella (10th seed) vs. Kammy Koopa (12th seed)

"All right fight fans, moving on to the second fight of the day! In the East corner, we have the Encyclopedic Goomba, Gooooombella!"

Goombella walked into the ring. She still wasn't too confident about this whole thing, but she'd already resolved to do her best.

"And in the West corner, making her entrance, the Koopa Grandmaster of Magic, Kammy Koopa!"

"Mweh heh heh heh!" Kammy stepped into the ring. "You had an easy time with the Yoshi, girl. I won't be succumbing so easily, oh no."

Goombella remained silent until the gong rang, then leapt into action with a Multibonk. However, Kammy was ready. "Defense Up!" she magically raised he toughness, and now, even Goombella's Multibonk barely scratched her. She fired a spell, but Goombella simply leapt over it. Goombella leapt at her to do a headbonk again, but this time, Kammy fired the spell at point blank, knocking her back. "Time to try a new bit of magic… Mystic Summon: Chain Chomp!"

A Chain Chomp appeared, but no ordinary one, this one seemed composed of magic energy. It proceeded without the slightest iota of ado to chase Goombella around the arena. Taking advantage of her helplessness, Kammy prepared another Mega Spell. The Chain Chomp apparently could not exist indefinitely, by the time the spell was finished it had vanished, but Goombella was exhausted. "Easy target! Mweh heh heh heh!" She let fly the spell, and it struck dead on. The result afterwards was fairly clear.

"And the winner is… Kammy Koopa!"

Glitz Cup Finals: Quarterfinal Round Fight 3: The Master (6th seed) vs. Rawk Hawk (7th seed)

"Moving on to our third match, fight fans, in the East corner we have the Ultimate Fighting Machine… Theeeee Masterrrrr!"

The Master walked in, bracing himself for the horrible theme song that would certainly accompany his opponent's entrance.

"And now… in the West corner, making his entrance, the Ultimate Man Among Fowl, the Feral Nuclear Reactor… Raaaaaawk Haaaaawk!"

As the theme song began playing, The Master heard a voice from the stands, unmistakably belonging to Bowser. "You darn well better win this, Mr. Master guy! I do NOT want to suffer through this again."

"You needn't worry about that…I will most certainly do my best to end everyone's auditory suffering."

"Well, let's not keep this crowd waiting any longer!" The gong rang, and Rawk Hawk charged at the Master. He thrust out his fist into Rawk Hawk's stomach just as he was about to reach him. "Oof!" The Master followed up with a devastating uppercut, launching Rawk Hawk into the air. However, the air was where Rawk Hawk fared best, he swooped down at the Master from above, but the Master grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground. "Gah! How the heck could such a puny old guy be so strong?!"

"I may be 'old', but your battle technique is as vulgar as your showmanship." Once Rawk Hawk had gotten back up, the Master ran at him, slipped neatly through his guard, and dealt another pummeling punch. Rawk Hawk tried to fight back, but the Master was relentless. Soon, Rawk Hawk simply couldn't withstand anymore.

"And the winner is…Theeeeee Masterrrrrrr!"

Glitz Cup Finals: Quarterfinal Round Fight 4: Mario Mario (3rd Seed) vs. Fighter S (1st seed)

"And now, moving on to our last, and most epic fight of the day! In the East Corner, making his entrance, the Ultimate Superstar… Marioooooo Maaaaario!"

Mario strode into the ring. He was just a little nervous; from what he'd seen, Fighter S was likely to be the toughest foe he'd ever faced, and he'd faced plenty of formidable adversaries before. But he'd still win; he was Mario, right?

"And in the West corner, we have the number one seed in the tournament… the Mushroom of Mystery, Fighter S!"

"Greetings, Mario. Allow me to say that it is truly an honor to have the chance to trade blows with a true legend. My victory will surely be spoken of for years to come."

"Wait, victory? You actually think you're going to win? If I lost to guys like you that easily, my game would have ended long ago."

"Oh, I didn't say it would be easy. But I will win."

"All right, you two ready? Then let's brawl!" the gong sounded. "You are doubly fortunate Mario," said Fighter S, "for I have decided to give you and these fans a taste of my true power. Allmighty entities in the skies above, grace me with the purity of thy presence and lend me the power of thy voice! Ultimate Hammer Transformation: Hammer of the Heavens!" Fighter S held his hammer straight up, and the people in the stands would say without hesitation in the retelling of the fight that a small shooting star came down and struck the hammer. When that happened, the hammer, from the mallet to the handle, became clear and translucent, as though made of glittering diamond. Mario brought out his own hammer, but he suddenly had his doubts; how could an Ultra Hammer compare to such incredible power? He decided to risk the same move he'd used on Luigi. "Spring… JUMP!" He leapt high into the air, spinning round and round until his hammer was a blur. Fighter S would not be intimidated. "Comet Barrage!" As Mario decended, what looked like numerous miniature comets surrounded him in a circle, and just as Mario was getting close to the ground, they converged and all hit him at once. His attack was disrupted and he landed with a sprawling crash on the arena floor. He tried to get back up, but Fighter S was truly merciless. "Seal of Stars!" Just as Mario had recovered from the previous attack, a hollow five pointed star made of light passed through him, and he found he could not move. "Now for my finishing move." Fighter S ran up to the paralyzed Mario and brought his hammer back to swing. "Comet Strike!" His hammer hit Mario, and a larger miniature comet emerged from the hammer, and it carried Mario all the way out of the ring and sent him crashing into the wall of the stadium. Mario tried to get up for a moment, but couldn't. Luigi, in the stands, was extremely distraught. "BRO! Get up, bro! No!" but it was to no avail. Mario had been beaten.

The other former and remaining finalists had their own comments to make about the whole situation. Rawk Hawk said quietly to himself, "Geez…I'm almost glad I don't have to get in the ring with that guy." The Master would only say, "Such astonishing power…"

Bowser was in shock. "Oh man… to think there're moves like that even out there!" But Kammy was keeping a closer eye on Fighter S than the rest. "Wait, Lord Bowser, look!"

Fighter S was on his knees, and his ninja garb was damp in places, as though he had been sweating profusely. "Aaaahhh… I was warned there may be consequences for using such power, but… uurgh…"

Jolene rushed over to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm… not sure. Might be okay in a bit. I'll just have to work through this. Uuugh…"

"Well, in any case… the winner of this match is Fighter S! And so concludes the Quarterfinal round of the Glitz Cup Finals! The remaining fighters and pairings are…" they displayed on the screen.

1. Fighter S

6. The Master

12. Kammy Koopa

16. Bowser Koopa

"We'll see you next time for even more intense fighting action!"


	6. The Semifinals

The night after the Quarterfinals ended, Kammy Koopa once again entered Bowser's room. "Er, m'lord, if I may?"

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to know…what you want me to do as to tomorrow's fight."

"Hmm…you know Kammy, I've been toying with the idea of having you throw the semifinal round."

"And?"

"I would have gone through with it, if it weren't for that stinking Fighter S, and the fight between Mario and his brother in Round One. It wasn't easy to pass up a free ride, but let's think about it. Mario was able to take on his own brother without any signs of letting up. Now, if I, the mighty and merciless king of the koopas weren't able to do the same to you, what would that make me?"

"Er… m'lord?"

"A COWARD! THAT'S what it would make me. And I'm going to make sure that NOBODY will ever be able to call Bowser the King a coward ever again! And another thing! There's that S weirdo. He's the most insane fighter I've ever seen, ever. If I can't even beat YOU to a pulp…how am I supposed to contend with him?"

Kammy was astonished. Something about Bowser had definitely changed at some point during this tournament. His overconfidence that had been present in innumerable schemes seemed completely evaporated. And another thing, she'd never known him to have any problem with being a tint cowardly before, after all that's what evil overlords did; they let their minions do their dirty work. But as always, she put her trust in her king. "Understood m'lord. I will not hold back."

"You darn well better not! Now we both need to get some sleep."

The Next Day

Glitz Cup Finals: Semifinal Round Fight 1: Bowser Koopa (16th seed) vs. Kammy Koopa (12th seed)

"And welcome once again, fight fans, to the Glitz Cup Finals! Today is our semifinal round, and ready to heat up the stadium once again, making his entrance in the East corner…that's right, it's the Ultimate Comeback King of the Koopas… Boooooowser Koopa!"

Bowser made his way to the ring, totally standing by his decision of the previous night. His army, however, had no idea who to cheer for, and stood around in confusion in the stands. "And now…in the West corner, making her entrance, the Koopa Grandmaster of Magic, Kammyyyyyyyy Kooooopa!"

"Are you ready, m'lord? I intend fully to keep to my promise."

"Yeah… I'm ready."

"Well then, if you're both ready… let's brawl!"

"Paralysis!" Kammy immediately cast her paralysis spell, freezing Bowser in his tracks. "And now, I'm sorry, m'lord." She prepared a Mega Spell, but Bowser didn't even look worried. "Gwa har har! Did you think I'd actually go into this fight without a way to contend with your new favorite tactic?"

He launched some of his shell spikes, but Kammy being directly in front of Bowser, wasn't anywhere near harm's way…or was she? To the astonishment of all, the spikes turned around and homed in on her, and she was knocked off her broom as she was rammed repeatedly. The paralysis wore off just as she recovered from the assault. "Lord Bowser, that was positively incredible! How?"

"I dunno why you're so surprised, Kammy, my shell spikes ARE a part of me, right?"

"I…see…"

"Heh…better look behind you!"

But there was no time as the shell spikes boomeranged back around, hitting Kammy from behind as they returned to Bowser's shell. This time, Bowser could move, and snatched Kammy's wand before she could get back up. "My, my, my, look what we have here. Oops!" he said, as he crushed it in his fist.

"Lord Bowser! You don't have any idea how much that thing cost me!"

"You should have thought of that before you challenged your king. You were the one who entered this tournament, you should have known this could happen. And now you'll pay the price! If you can't stand the heat…" he let loose with his flame breath, "don't enter the tournament!" Kammy was covered in soot, and did not rise.

"Well we definitely have a winner…Bowserrrrrrr Kooooooopa!"

Glitz Cup Finals: Semifinal Round Fight 2: The Master (6th seed) vs. Fighter S (1st seed)

"Moving on, fight fans, making his way to the ring in the East corner, the Ultimate Fighting Machine, Theeeee Masterrrrrr!"

The Master made his way to the ring once again. "And now… coming to the ring in the West corner, the man who toppled a Superstar, who I have been personally assured that he has made a full recovery from his difficulties from last round…the Mushroom of Mystery, Fighterrrrr S!"

"Greetings. Before we begin, there's something I'd like to say." He took out his customized hammer…and tossed it outside the ring. "As my opponent fights with naught but his body as a weapon, so too shall I!"

"A bold move," said the Master, "are you certain? If you used that hammer with any sort of grace and style, you'd surely defeat me with ease."

"That's not the point, now is it? We've got to give these people something to see. It'll be refreshing for me to face a foe on equal terms."

"As you wish." The gong rang, and the pair did indeed give the crowd something to see. Fighter S and the Master's fists seemed to fly as they matched each other blow for blow, guard for guard. After several minutes of intense karate fighting, they broke apart, both fighters having not given the other an inch. "Most impressive," said the Master, "it is a privilege to face one in battle who truly understands the subtleties of combat."

"Indeed, I see why the call you the Master. I didn't want to resort to this after that incident last round, but it would seem I have little choice. Become one with me, O energy of the skies! Body Elemental Shift: Lightning!"

Fighter S's entire body crackled with intense electrical energy. "Intriguing," said the Master, "so he can use his Elemental Shift style without using a physical object as a conduit; he simply attunes his own energies to the element of his choice!"

Fighter S ran at the Master and delivered a blow, which the Master blocked, but upon contact with Fighter S, he was zapped by the energy. He doubled over in pain. "Aaa…my heart…the pain…"

He collapsed. A medic rushed over to him, and shook his head. "This doesn't look good…that electrical attack has damaged his cardiovascular system."

"No need to worry," said Fighter S, picking up his hammer, "I'll save him. Power of life, come to my aid, lend me the power to give back what has been taken! Hammer Elemental Shift: Life!" At those words, Fighter S's hammer began to glow with a warm light. He pointed it at The Master, and a beam shot out of it connecting with the Master's chest. The Master's entire body glowed with the same light for a few seconds, then stopped, and the Master woke up. "His heartbeat has stabilized… amazing!"

"Yes, indeed. Thank you for saving me… in fact I feel even better than before! Truly astounding! Though… I have lost the match, haven't I? Oh well."

"Yes, I'm afraid," said Jolene. "The winner, once again… is Fighter S!" Tomorrow we will finally see who takes home the prize of fifteen thousand coins, and it will be one of these two combatants!"

The final matchup appeared on the screen.

FINAL MATCH

BOWSER KOOPA VS. FIGHTER S

"We'll see you all tomorrow for the final round of the Glitz Cup!"


	7. The Final Match: Fighter S Revealed!

Glitz Cup Finals: CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND: BOWSER KOOPA (16TH SEED) VS. FIGHTER S (1ST SEED)

"And welcome once again, fight fans! Today, we have the one you've all been waiting for! The Glitz Cup Championship Title Match! And if you don't mind my saying so, we could hardly plan for a more epic match up! In the East Corner… we have a fighter who's gone all the way from the bottom of the barrel to the very top of the heap! You all know who I'm talking about, fans… The Ultimate Comeback King of the Koopas… Boooooowser Koopa!"

Bowser walked into the ring. He would have been his usual, confident self, except for one thing: Fighter S had defeated his arch-rival. If he won, he'd finally have something to hold over that stinking plumber. But, as Fighter S HAD defeated Mario, even Bowser knew he'd be in for the fight of his life.

"And now… in the West corner, a fighter who hardly needs introduction. True legends have fallen beneath this enigma's relentless fighting style, not the least of which were two former Glitz Pit Champions! It gives me great pleasure to welcome back one more time… Fighter S! Please take note that at this point, all combat wagers are now locked. No changing or removing bets are permitted, nor making new ones."

Fighter S walked into the ring, and straight up to Bowser. "Greetings. You know, even had I not heard the infamous tales of the Koopa King, I would still feel that I know you so well. You came into this tournament and faced more hardships and challenges than any who have stood within this ring. You emerged victorious again and again. And now, with countless foes crushed at your heel, you come to me. In short, you are the most ideal challenger this tournament could possibly have produced for me! NOW COME!"

The gong sounded. "Unwavering currents beneath the waves—" Fighter S began, but Bowser had other plans. "Oh no ya don't. Not this time." He dealt Fighter S a mighty blow with his claws before S could complete the chant. "Uurgh!"

Taking advantage of Fighter S's distraction, Bowser grabbed him chokingly in his claws. Fighter S struggled violently, but Bowser held on. "Heh. You know, this whole 'Mushroom of Mystery' thing is getting pretty old, S. I think I'll do everyone watching a big favor. Now is revealed… the true identity of the great Fighter S!"

He ripped off the top of Fighter S's ninja garb, then dropped him in shock. Hanging his head in shame, the Toad standing in the stadium could only be one person…Mr. Rista, the co-owner of the Glitz Stadium and organizer of the tournament.

"NO WAY! Time out! Uh… can I call a time out? Is that legal?"

"I suppose if we both stop fighting for a bit, it is. I've a bit of explaining to do, if you'll permit me, Mr. Bowser."

"Uh…yeah. Sure, go ahead."

"Well…as many of you know, this whole tournament, the renovations of the Glitz Pit… they were all my idea, but what you never knew is that it was not solely for business reasons. I've been obsessed with the martial arts since I was very young… but my family never approved of that sort of thing, so I trained and developed techniques in secret alongside running my father's corporate empire. But soon, I found myself growing incredibly strong, and I had no way of testing my skills. So I turned to the place where exemplary fighters and throngs of battle enthusiasts already gathered…the Glitz Pit. I'm afraid I've deceived you, Jolene. I am sorry. The true purpose of the Glitz Cup, the invitations I sent out were to ensure I could fight against the best the world had to offer. And, I must say, it's worked. This has been an incredible experience. But…the experience isn't over yet. I've still one opponent left to defeat. Now, Bowser, shall we?"

"Now you're talking! Let's go, Mr. Moneybags!"

"You want it, you got it! Yaaaah!" Rista took up his hammer, leapt up and delivered a mighty blow to the Koopa King's face. Bowser attempted to flame him in retaliation, but he dove out of the way and prepared for another strike. As he leapt up, this time however Bowser managed to catch him in midair, and he slammed him into the ground and used his flame breath. He tried to follow up with a body 

slam while Rista was down, but he found himself being knocked into the air with Rista's hammer. Rista leapt up after him, evaded his claws, and dealt another strong blow. Bowser was knocked toward the edge of the ring, but he wasn't done yet. He launched several of his shell spikes at Rista, who batted them away with his hammer, but it was only a diversion, so that Bowser could prepare his best move. "Koopa…whirlwind…STRIKE!" He hit Rista while he was distracted by the last shell spike, launching him into the air, then he went after him and hit him again, and Rista crashed into the arena floor with tremendous force. Bowser descended and came out of his whirlwind. "OHHHH YEAH! And I'm not even that dizzy this time!"

Amazingly, Rista was still conscious, though unable to continue. "I am…defeated. Thank you…I believe I finally understand your words…Celestina. Well met…Bowser." With that, he finally fell unconscious.

"Well, fight fans, what more can you say! That was a truly incredible display of martial prowess on both sides…and who'd have thought that Fighter S, the number one seed, the man who ate true legends for breakfast in this tournament, would finally be defeated by our Ultimate Comeback King! That's right…the winner of this bout, and Champion of the Glitz Cup… it's Bowser! Let's hear some noise!"

Bowser basked in the crowds cheers for what seemed like a very long time, then Jolene spoke again. "Now, as soon as Mr. Rista recovers, we'll go ahead and start the award ceremony. Please stand by, everyone."

A Few Hours Later

"And welcome everyone to the conclusion of the Glitz Cup: the award presentation! In third place, winning 1,000 coins, as Kammy Koopa has declined a consolation bout, it's Mario! Give it up for him!"

A Glitz Stadium staff member handed Mario a check for 1,000 coins. He wouldn't say anything, but inside he was pretty disappointed being beat by Rista. "Our runner up, winning five thousand coins, it's Fighter S a.k.a. Mr. Fungolomew Rista! You were amazing, sir, you deserve it."

"Thank you," said Rista as he accepted the check, "I'll make sure a good charity organization gets this."

"Finally, we have our champion, who gave a truly stunning performance in the final round to defeat the seemingly unbeatable! The Champion of Glitz Stadium, winning fifteen thousand coins, Booooowser Koopa!"

Bowser took the check, but would say nothing. Inwardly he was already scheming as to what he would do with the money. Looks like Mario and the rest of the fighters can look forward to another nefarious plot by the Koopa King…

THE END


End file.
